Victorian farming business, Priest Bros Orchards, has launched its first apple juice – Sparkling Gold – aiming to offer a premium drink that celebrates the journey of apples from tree to bottle.
Priest Bros Orchards spans approximately 120 hectares of planted apples. It has grown apples in West Gippsland, southern Victoria for more than two decades.
The business ventured into its first juice to seize on the growing demand for ‘better-for-you’ drinks and alcohol alternatives is growing rapidly. The concept had been in development for about 12-18 months.
Source: Priest Bros Orchards
Produced from a mix of premium apple varieties grown at Priest Bros Orchards at Pakenham Upper, Sparkling Gold fruit was hand-selected for flavour, colour and juicing qualities. The apples are pressed and bottled in Gippsland.
Priest Bros business manager, Shane Priest, said Sparkling Gold was a new way to showcase orchard practices and offer a high-quality product.
“We wanted to capture the full flavour of our apples in a way that felt modern, refreshing and premium,” said Priest.
“It marks a natural next step for us – a way to share the fruit we grow in a different format and add value to our orchard. Our focus is on delivering the best fruit possible no matter the variety. Every tree on our property is carefully managed to ensure the fruit is picked at its peak.
“The apples are ideal for juicing because they are naturally high in brix (sugar content), with vibrant colour, crisp texture, and a clean, balanced flavour, resulting in a sparkling apple juice that is bright, refreshing, and naturally sweet. It’s 100 per cent apple juice with no added sugar – the sugar content is naturally occurring from the fruit,” he said.
Priest Bros chose the bottling partner for its shared values around freshness, traceability and quality. The first production began with 3600 bottles but based on strong early feedback, it planned to produce at least 5000 litres to meet growing demand across retail and food service.
“We took our time refining the process, selecting the right fruit, partnering with the right production team, and ensuring the final product lived up to the quality we’re known for,” said Priest.
“We’ve carbonated the juice using food-grade CO₂ to create a light, sparkling texture – it’s more celebratory and refreshing than a typical still juice.”
“Sparkling Gold is here to stay. While seasonal fruit availability determines our production window, this product is part of a long-term plan to grow our offering and add value to our apples ongoing,” he said.
Priest Bros Orchards Sparkling Gold apple juice is available exclusively through independent fruit shops and specialty grocers across Victoria, for around $10 per bottle. The company stated that eventually, it will be stocked nationally.
